Participants | Instructions | Toolkit | Resources | History
AVCA Girls & Women’s Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week
September 27 – October 5, 2024
RECORD BREAKING 754 Participants in 47 States!!
September 27 – October 5, 2024, was the 4th Annual American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Girls and Women’s Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week. This nine-day period is set aside to make sure our officials know they are part of the sport. As coaches, you are the leaders, student-athletes, parents, and fans will follow your example of ensuring that we treat our officials in a manner befitting their role in helping girls and women’s volleyball become one of the United States most popular sports.
2024 Participants List
754 participants in 47 states took part in a record-setting 2024 AVCA Girls and Women’s Volleyball #OFFICIATIONWEEK! This year’s participation tops the previous record of 600 participants in 44 states set in 2023. The final number of participants will be released soon.
- View the 2024 AVCA Girls and Women’s Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week Participants List.
- Watch the 2024 #OFFICIATIONWEEK Participants Highlights Video.
- Want to see your team added to the participants list? Email AVCA Membership and Communications Specialist Tara McGuire with the name of your team, date of your event, and a link to photos from your event shared to social media.
How Can You Engage?
Instructions to Participate: 4 Steps
- CHOOSE A MATCH during the week of September 27 – October 5. NOTE: Coaches/teams can participate in more than one match during the week. For example, you might choose to recognize officials at a match as the Home team and work with another school to recognize officials at another match as the Visiting team.
- COORDINATE WITH THE OPPOSING COACH/TEAM to present a small token of appreciation – goodie bag(s) or certificate of appreciation or something agreed upon – prior to the match before the coin toss. Please include both coaches/teams in the presentation. You can also post signs or banners; for example, “Thank you to tonight’s officials! We appreciate all you do for volleyball!” TO MAKE THIS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL, PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH NAMES OF OFFICIALS ON PROGRAMS, FLYERS, BANNERS OR SOCIAL MEDIA.
- TAKE PICTURES. The home team is responsible for pictures, though both teams may want to take photos to each share to social media. A photo that includes the officials, the coaches, and BOTH teams is highly recommended.
- POST 1-2 PICTURES TO SOCIAL MEDIA, and tag @AVCAVolleyball and #OFFICIATIONWEEK. NOTE: You may also want to tag your state volleyball coaches and/or officials association, and/or state athletic association.
AVCA Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week Toolkit
Look for even more ways to get involved? Choose an IDEA to put into action from the 2024 AVCA #OFFICIATIONWEEK Toolkit.
- DOWNLOAD the 2024 AVCA Girls and Women’s Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week Toolkit (PDF)
Additional Resources
Check out these additional resources on becoming an official, sportsmanship, and officials appreciation.
2021-2024 #OFFICIATIONWEEK History
Now in its 4th year, #OFFICIATIONWEEK has become a proud annual tradition among high school boys and girls, club, beach, and college men’s and women’s volleyball teams from 48 states plus D.C., Canada and the UK. A cumulative total of more than 1,800 participants have engaged via 4 steps: (1) choose a match during #OFFICIATIONWEEK; (2) coordinate with the opposing coach/team to present a small token of appreciation to officials before the match; (3) take pictures including officials, coaches and both teams; and (3) post to social media tagging #OFFICIATIONWEEK and @AVCAVolleyball.
The events are hosted by the AVCA High School Leadership Council. While the athletes, coaches and teams plan and lead the individual official’s appreciation events, the national campaign’s success is also credited to AVCA’s Affiliate Program Partners; high school athletic associations; intercollegiate athletic conferences; public and private high schools and universities; and USA Volleyball Regions who encouraged their teams to participate.
Fall 2023, brought the addition of an #OFFICIATIONWEEK Toolkit for each event with more ideas to get involved like banners/posters, customizable certificates for officials, goodie bags, PA announcements and more. Webpages were created with resources on becoming an official, sportsmanship, and officials appreciation for high school and college.
- 2021-2024 AVCA #OFFICIATIONWEEK Report
- Additional Resources: High School
- Additional Resources: College
2021 AVCA Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week
#OFFICIATIONWEEK was started by the AVCA in the fall of 2021, in response to the national shortage of high school volleyball officials. This 1st event was promoted to girls high school teams.
2022 AVCA Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week: 241 Participants | 26 States
The 2nd Annual AVCA #OFFICIATIONWEEK held September 30, to October 8, grew vastly from its first year to include 241 participants in 26 states. While the week was primarily marketed to girls volleyball teams, participants included girls, boys, beach and women’s volleyball.
2023 AVCA Men’s & Boys Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week: 122 Participants | 23 States
The 1st annual AVCA Men’s and Boys #OFFICIATIONWEEK kicked off as a tremendous success with 122 participants from 23 states. Participants included: Middle School (3); High School (88); Club (4); Beach (2); NCAA DIII (12); NCAA DII (2); and NCAA DI (11).
2023 AVCA Girls & Women’s Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week: 600 Participants | 44 States
A RECORD-BREAKING 600 teams and organizations in 44 states participated in #OFFICIATIONWEEK from September 29 to October 7, 2023! This marked the first #OFFICIATIONWEEK with participants from nearly every division involved, including: Middle School (4); High School Girls (451); High School Boys (1); Club (11); Beach (1); NJCAA (18); NAIA (5); NCAA DIII (27); NCAA DII (43); and NCAA DI (29).
- 2023 AVCA Girls & Women’s Highlights Video
- 2023 AVCA Girls & Women’s Participants List
- 2023 AVCA Girls & Women’s Toolkit
2024 AVCA Boys, Men’s & Beach Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week: 98 Participants | 34 States
In spring 2024, 98 participants from 34 states took part in the AVCA Boys, Men’s & Beach #OFFICIATIONWEEK. 2024 marked the first official beach volleyball #OFFICIATIONWEEK, and the 2nd Annual Boys and Men’s. Spring 2024 #OFFICIATIONWEEK included participants from the following divisions: Middle School (4); High School (43); Club (18); Beach (9); NJCAA (2); NAIA (4); NCAA DIII (5); NCAA DII (6); NCAA DI (12); in addition to international volleyball programs.
- 2024 AVCA Boys, Men’s & Beach Highlights Video
- 2024 AVCA Boys, Men’s & Beach Participants List
- 2024 AVCA Boys, Men’s & Beach Toolkit
2024 AVCA Girls & Women’s Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week: 754 Participants in 47 States
Over 754 participants in 47 states took part in a record-setting 2024 AVCA Girls and Women’s Volleyball #OFFICIATIONWEEK! This year’s participation tops the previous record of 600 participants in 44 states set in 2023.
- 2024 AVCA Girls & Women’s Highlights Video
- 2024 AVCA Girls & Women’s Participation List
- 2024 AVCA Girls & Women’s Toolkit
Good Sportsmanship has the Power to Inspire
#InspireSportsmanship is a new campaign launched March 2024, through the AVCA High School Leadership Council that spotlights stories of girls and boys volleyball players, coaches and teams displaying exceptional sportsmanship. The campaign is an extension of #OFFICIATIONWEEK’s efforts to promote sportsmanship through respect and appreciation of officials.
Unsportsmanlike acts spread further and faster than acts of kindness, humility, and corporation. That is why it is more important than ever to teach and spotlight good sportsmanship to inspire others.
As of April 2024, the AVCA is proud to have received 30 stories of inspirational sportsmanship in volleyball from throughout the nation. These stories along with others submitted in the future will be showcased in the Affiliations eNewsletter, AVCA website, and social media in partnership with the AVCA’s Signature Affiliate, Affiliate and Membership Organization high school partner associations.
